just saying, I don’t think she’s spending all that time with that new girl, Beth Daniels, because Beth is helping her with her homework.”
The last chunk of cupcake went down like a rock. “What do you mean, time with Beth? How do you know?”
Jess shifted in the front seat so she could look at me directly. “I have seventh hour with Sylvia. She’s skipped class with Beth twice now. I’ve seen them walk out to the parking lot together. I don’t know where they go, but they’re definitely together. I noticed she hasn’t really been in fencing class, either.”
I shrugged. “Maybe it’s a pregnancy thing.”
“See, that’s just it,” Jess said offhandedly. “If it’s a pregnancy thing, why isn’t she hanging out with you? Aren’t you guys best friends?”
“Of course we’re best friends,” I fired back. “Just because she hangs out with someone else for a little while doesn’t mean we’re not best friends.”
“Except Beth pretty much hates you,” Jess said, chewing on another banana chip.
“For fuck’s sake, how do you know all this?” I asked, my blood surging. “First you figure out Sylvia’s pregnant before everyone else. Now you know how a girl who’s been at school for a matter of days feels about me.”
Jess stared out the windshield. “When all people see about you is your deformity, they sort of expect that’s all you see as well. I got really good at learning how to be invisible, kind of. I can pretty much be in a classroom or a hallway and watch and listen without anyone noticing.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t give me that ‘oh, I have a deformity, I’m invisible’ crap. I don’t believe it for a second.”
Jess put her claw hand in my face. “ This is what people see.” I pushed it out of the way. Jess didn’t even blink. “And I am invisible a lot of the time. But if you have to know, I figured out Sylvia was pregnant when my mom and I were buying a gift for my cousin at Baby Warehouse. I saw Sylvia there with her mom.”
“So? How did you know Sylvia and her mom weren’t picking out a gift too?”
“Technically, I didn’t. But when I saw Sylvia with the note in gym class, plus the fact that her skin is all glowy and she’s rounded out, I put it together. It’s not rocket science.”
“Except now you’re spying on Sylvia and Beth. And me. Why?”
Jess folded up what was left of her banana chips and put them in her lunch sack. “I have business class with Mrs. Wagner and about a thousand of her stupid cheerleaders. All they talk about is the prom. Some of them are worried that Sylvia might actually get the crown. I’m tuned in because I want to see how all this goes down.”
I sat back. “Get the crown? How’s that possible if Sylvia was only nominated as a joke?”
“Yeah, but think about Tommy Oakwell. Or other kids who have more in common with people like Sylvia than Tiffany Holland. What if they all vote for Sylvia?”
I stared out the window. I’d never thought about it that way before. “Mrs. Wagner used this funny word the other day,” Jess continued. “ Groundswell . I looked it up and it means ‘a surge of support.’ She said a groundswell could actually turn the election.”
I turned down the CD player so I could focus on Jess’s words. “Are you serious? She thinks Sylvia has a chance?”
Jess nodded. “But here’s the thing. She says she’ll never let Sylvia win. She says a pregnancy should disqualify her. And in case you didn’t know, Mrs. Wagner counts the ballots.”
That day after school, I was getting ready to head over to Sylvia’s house when Fitz jogged up to me in the parking lot.
“Hey, Aggie,” he said. “You got a sec?”
I pushed down the surge of happiness I felt at the sight of him. He has a girlfriend , I reminded myself. And Neil might want to get back together . “What?” I asked.
“I just, you know, wanted to catch up,” Fitz said. “Wanted to make sure we were cool or
The last chunk of cupcake went down like a rock. “What do you mean, time with Beth? How do you know?”
Jess shifted in the front seat so she could look at me directly. “I have seventh hour with Sylvia. She’s skipped class with Beth twice now. I’ve seen them walk out to the parking lot together. I don’t know where they go, but they’re definitely together. I noticed she hasn’t really been in fencing class, either.”
I shrugged. “Maybe it’s a pregnancy thing.”
“See, that’s just it,” Jess said offhandedly. “If it’s a pregnancy thing, why isn’t she hanging out with you? Aren’t you guys best friends?”
“Of course we’re best friends,” I fired back. “Just because she hangs out with someone else for a little while doesn’t mean we’re not best friends.”
“Except Beth pretty much hates you,” Jess said, chewing on another banana chip.
“For fuck’s sake, how do you know all this?” I asked, my blood surging. “First you figure out Sylvia’s pregnant before everyone else. Now you know how a girl who’s been at school for a matter of days feels about me.”
Jess stared out the windshield. “When all people see about you is your deformity, they sort of expect that’s all you see as well. I got really good at learning how to be invisible, kind of. I can pretty much be in a classroom or a hallway and watch and listen without anyone noticing.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t give me that ‘oh, I have a deformity, I’m invisible’ crap. I don’t believe it for a second.”
Jess put her claw hand in my face. “ This is what people see.” I pushed it out of the way. Jess didn’t even blink. “And I am invisible a lot of the time. But if you have to know, I figured out Sylvia was pregnant when my mom and I were buying a gift for my cousin at Baby Warehouse. I saw Sylvia there with her mom.”
“So? How did you know Sylvia and her mom weren’t picking out a gift too?”
“Technically, I didn’t. But when I saw Sylvia with the note in gym class, plus the fact that her skin is all glowy and she’s rounded out, I put it together. It’s not rocket science.”
“Except now you’re spying on Sylvia and Beth. And me. Why?”
Jess folded up what was left of her banana chips and put them in her lunch sack. “I have business class with Mrs. Wagner and about a thousand of her stupid cheerleaders. All they talk about is the prom. Some of them are worried that Sylvia might actually get the crown. I’m tuned in because I want to see how all this goes down.”
I sat back. “Get the crown? How’s that possible if Sylvia was only nominated as a joke?”
“Yeah, but think about Tommy Oakwell. Or other kids who have more in common with people like Sylvia than Tiffany Holland. What if they all vote for Sylvia?”
I stared out the window. I’d never thought about it that way before. “Mrs. Wagner used this funny word the other day,” Jess continued. “ Groundswell . I looked it up and it means ‘a surge of support.’ She said a groundswell could actually turn the election.”
I turned down the CD player so I could focus on Jess’s words. “Are you serious? She thinks Sylvia has a chance?”
Jess nodded. “But here’s the thing. She says she’ll never let Sylvia win. She says a pregnancy should disqualify her. And in case you didn’t know, Mrs. Wagner counts the ballots.”
That day after school, I was getting ready to head over to Sylvia’s house when Fitz jogged up to me in the parking lot.
“Hey, Aggie,” he said. “You got a sec?”
I pushed down the surge of happiness I felt at the sight of him. He has a girlfriend , I reminded myself. And Neil might want to get back together . “What?” I asked.
“I just, you know, wanted to catch up,” Fitz said. “Wanted to make sure we were cool or
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